UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A special summer camp offered by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences will introduce junior and senior high students to an exciting, high-tech career option.

The Penn State Geospatial Technology Summer Camp, to be held July 31-Aug. 4 at Penn State's University Park campus, will allow 12- to 18-year-old youth to have hands-on fun with high-tech global positioning systems and computers while presenting them with real-world challenges and skills that they can use immediately in their communities, says Stewart Bruce senior extension associate in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. He explains that a week of fun could introduce youngsters to a lucrative future career.

"The U.S. Department of Labor has designated geospatial technologies as one of the top 10 career growth fields, and there are shortages of people in that career," he says. "We hope by introducing youth to geospatial technologies, they'll get excited about it, and see it as a possible future educational and career option, because the industry definitely needs workers, and offers good-paying jobs.

"Geospatial technology is used in pursuits as diverse as trying to find Osama bin Laden, mapping underground infrastructure such as water and sewer lines, planning for future growth in your community, or locating the next Wal-Mart store," Bruce says. "There's a wide range of applications for the technology and it's not really limited to one specific field."

Campers will learn to use geographic information systems software, global positioning systems hardware and remote-sensing data in the laboratory and in the field to map specific landscape features and collect geo-referenced data that will be used in analyzing a project area. They will also use GIS software to compile field data, import remote-sensed satellite imagery and prepare a project report with relevant large-scale maps for presentation to the group.

All camp attendees will be housed in Penn State's student dormitories and will receive meals through the campus dining halls. Each evening a variety of relaxing and fun recreational activities such as swimming are planned.

The camp is sponsored by Penn State's Equal Opportunity Planning Committee, the College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and the Penn State Cooperative Extension Geospatial Technology Program. Registration fees of $65 per person will cover all costs associated with the camp, and a limited number of scholarships are available for youth with financial need. The registration deadline is Friday, July 15, but walk-in registrations will be accepted as space allows. To register or receive a detailed schedule, contact Stewart Bruce at 814-863-7609 or by e-mail at stew@psu.edu. Registration information also is available on the Web at http://lal.cas.psu.edu/events/GISCamp2006.htm.

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EDITORS: For more information on course content, contact Stewart Bruce at 814-863-7609 or via e-mail at stew@psu.edu.

Gary Abdullah Writer/Editor Phone: 814-863-2708 E-mail: gxa2@psu.edu